usage: Perhaps because let's has come to be felt as a word in its own right rather than as the contraction of let us, it often occurs in informal speech and writing with redundant or appositional pronouns: Let's us plan a picnic. Let's you and I (or me) get together tomorrow. Usage guides suggest avoiding these constructions.

let2

(lɛt)

n.

1. (in tennis, badminton, etc.) any shot or action that must be replayed, esp. an otherwise valid serve that has hit the top of the net.

2. Chiefly Law. an impediment or obstacle: to act without let or hindrance.

[before 900; Middle English letten (v.), lette (n.; derivative of the v.), Old English lettan]

-let

a diminutive suffix attached to nouns (booklet; piglet; ringlet), and, by extraction from bracelet, a suffix denoting a band, ornament, or article of clothing worn on the part of the body specified by the noun (anklet; wristlet).

If you pay a sum of money in order to use something for a short period of time, you can say that you hire it or rent it. Hire is more common in British English and rent is more common in American English.

We hired a car from a local car agency and drove across the island.

He rented a car for the weekend.

If you make a series of payments in order to use something for a long period, you say that you rent it. You do not usually say that you 'hire' it.

A month's deposit may be required before you can rent the house.

2. 'hire out'

If you hire something from someone, you can say that they hire it out to you.

Companies hiring out boats do well in the summer months.

3. 'rent out'

If you rent something from someone, you can say that they rent it out to you.

They had to rent out the upstairs room.

4. 'let' and 'let out'

If you rent a building or piece of land from someone, you can say that they let it to you or let it out to you. The past tense and -ed participle of let is let.

The cottage was let to an actor from London.

I couldn't sell the house, so I let it out.

This usage is more common in British English than American English. The usual American terms are rent and rent out.

The house was rented to a farmer.

He repaired the boat and rented it out for $150.

let

Let is used to say that someone allows someone else to do something. After the object, you use an infinitive without to.

The farmer lets me live in a caravan behind his barn.

Her Dad never lets her have ice-cream.

They sit back and let everyone else do the work.

Be Careful!Don't use a to-infinitive or an -ing form after let. Don't say, for example, 'He lets me to use his telephone' or 'He lets me using his telephone'.

The past tense and -ed participle of let is let.

He let Jack lead the way.

She had let him borrow her pen.

Be Careful!There is no passive form of let. Don't say, for example, 'He was let go' or 'He was let to go'. If you want to use a passive form, use a different verb, such as allow or permit.

He had been allowed to enter Italy as a political refugee.

Laurent was only permitted to leave his room at mealtimes.

1. 'let ... know'

If you let someone know something, you tell them about it.

I'll find out about the meeting and let you know when it is.

If the pain gets worse, let your doctor know immediately.

2. 'let me'

People often use let me when they are offering to do something for someone.

Let me show you.

Let me help you carry your bags.

let

(to permit or lease)
Past participle: letGerund: letting

Imperative

let

let

Present

I let

you let

he/she/it lets

we let

you let

they let

Preterite

I let

you let

he/she/it let

we let

you let

they let

Present Continuous

I am letting

you are letting

he/she/it is letting

we are letting

you are letting

they are letting

Present Perfect

I have let

you have let

he/she/it has let

we have let

you have let

they have let

Past Continuous

I was letting

you were letting

he/she/it was letting

we were letting

you were letting

they were letting

Past Perfect

I had let

you had let

he/she/it had let

we had let

you had let

they had let

Future

I will let

you will let

he/she/it will let

we will let

you will let

they will let

Future Perfect

I will have let

you will have let

he/she/it will have let

we will have let

you will have let

they will have let

Future Continuous

I will be letting

you will be letting

he/she/it will be letting

we will be letting

you will be letting

they will be letting

Present Perfect Continuous

I have been letting

you have been letting

he/she/it has been letting

we have been letting

you have been letting

they have been letting

Future Perfect Continuous

I will have been letting

you will have been letting

he/she/it will have been letting

we will have been letting

you will have been letting

they will have been letting

Past Perfect Continuous

I had been letting

you had been letting

he/she/it had been letting

we had been letting

you had been letting

they had been letting

Conditional

I would let

you would let

he/she/it would let

we would let

you would let

they would let

Past Conditional

I would have let

you would have let

he/she/it would have let

we would have let

you would have let

they would have let

let

(to hinder)
Past participle: let/lettedGerund: letting

Imperative

let

let

Present

I let

you let

he/she/it lets

we let

you let

they let

Preterite

I let/letted

you let/letted

he/she/it let/letted

we let/letted

you let/letted

they let/letted

Present Continuous

I am letting

you are letting

he/she/it is letting

we are letting

you are letting

they are letting

Present Perfect

I have let/letted

you have let/letted

he/she/it has let/letted

we have let/letted

you have let/letted

they have let/letted

Past Continuous

I was letting

you were letting

he/she/it was letting

we were letting

you were letting

they were letting

Past Perfect

I had let/letted

you had let/letted

he/she/it had let/letted

we had let/letted

you had let/letted

they had let/letted

Future

I will let

you will let

he/she/it will let

we will let

you will let

they will let

Future Perfect

I will have let/letted

you will have let/letted

he/she/it will have let/letted

we will have let/letted

you will have let/letted

they will have let/letted

Future Continuous

I will be letting

you will be letting

he/she/it will be letting

we will be letting

you will be letting

they will be letting

Present Perfect Continuous

I have been letting

you have been letting

he/she/it has been letting

we have been letting

you have been letting

they have been letting

Future Perfect Continuous

I will have been letting

you will have been letting

he/she/it will have been letting

we will have been letting

you will have been letting

they will have been letting

Past Perfect Continuous

I had been letting

you had been letting

he/she/it had been letting

we had been letting

you had been letting

they had been letting

Conditional

I would let

you would let

he/she/it would let

we would let

you would let

they would let

Past Conditional

I would have let/letted

you would have let/letted

he/she/it would have let/letted

we would have let/letted

you would have let/letted

they would have let/letted

let

1. Allows a rally and resulting score to be disregarded. Lets are declared by the umpire without appeals from the players.

2. When no point is scored, for example, when the ball touches the net in service.

3. A service that touches the net before dropping into the proper service court. It does not count and has to be replayed.

act of terrorism, terrorism, terrorist act - the calculated use of violence (or the threat of violence) against civilians in order to attain goals that are political or religious or ideological in nature; this is done through intimidation or coercion or instilling fear

serve, service - (sports) a stroke that puts the ball in play; "his powerful serves won the game"

Verb

1.

let - make it possible through a specific action or lack of action for something to happen; "This permits the water to rush in"; "This sealed door won't allow the water come into the basement"; "This will permit the rain to run off"

pass - allow to go without comment or censure; "the insult passed as if unnoticed"

prevent, keep - stop (someone or something) from doing something or being in a certain state; "We must prevent the cancer from spreading"; "His snoring kept me from falling asleep"; "Keep the child from eating the marbles"

2.

let - actively cause something to happen; "I let it be known that I was not interested"

cause, induce, stimulate, make, get, have - cause to do; cause to act in a specified manner; "The ads induced me to buy a VCR"; "My children finally got me to buy a computer"; "My wife made me buy a new sofa"

let in, admit, include - allow participation in or the right to be part of; permit to exercise the rights, functions, and responsibilities of; "admit someone to the profession"; "She was admitted to the New Jersey Bar"

make, get - give certain properties to something; "get someone mad"; "She made us look silly"; "He made a fool of himself at the meeting"; "Don't make this into a big deal"; "This invention will make you a millionaire"; "Make yourself clear"

5.

let - leave unchanged; "let it be"

leave alone, leave behind, leave - leave unchanged or undisturbed or refrain from taking; "leave it as is"; "leave the young fawn alone"; "leave the flowers that you see in the park behind"

6.

let - grant use or occupation of under a term of contract; "I am leasing my country estate to some foreigners"

• Translate let's and let us + ((VERB)) using either vamos a + ((INFINITIVE)) or using the present subjunctive of the main verb. The second construction is used particularly in formal language and when translating let's not:

Let's go for a walk!Vamos a dar un paseoLet's consider the implications of the Government's decisionConsideremos las implicaciones de la decisión del GobiernoLet's not waste any more timeNo perdamos ya más tiempo

NOTE To translate let's go, use vamos or vámonos on its own without a following infinitive:

Let's go to the theatre¡Vamos al teatro!

• When let's is used on its own to reply to a suggestion, translate using vamos or vámonos if the verb in the suggestion was ir. Use vale or venga if not:

let to, ~rent (out) to mean to allow the use of (a house etc that one owns) to (someone) in return for payment: to let / rent (out) one's flat to visitors . rent from means to give payment for one's use of (a house etc) to (the owner): I rent my flat from a landlord who lives abroad .

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